Beaten but Never Broken
by animelover1993
Summary: Captured at the height of the war, Ichigo is sent through what could be called Hell. His body and soul beaten and cracked yet never broken.
1. Prologue

**Beaten but never Broken**

Prologue

Crimson liquid falls in languid ribbons against an abused torso.

Lungs greedily suck in foul air, desperate to oxygenate this withering body.

Bright orange hair, dulled and matted with sweat, blood, and grime.

Once defiant and strong copper eyes, dead in the wake of time past.

A once proud and powerful frame, beaten and forlorn.

Wrists blistered and raw from the shackles holding them aloft.

A vast ocean of power restrained behind a blood-stained black collar.

"Have you had enough, Kurosaki Ichigo?" A cold and callous voice calls.

The teen in question stirs slightly, noticeably wincing as unhealed and fresh wounds protest the movement.

"Ah... Aizen...sama..." A hoarse voice raw from long drawn out screams of agony and anguish none the less conveys agreement.

Aizen could only smile.

It had taken longer than anticipated, even after harsher methods were implemented.

But about a year after his capture the hybrid had finally broken. Or so Aizen thought.

And now the real war begins.

**A.N: So just something I had laying around. I do have other chapters hand written. I just need to type and edit them. I'm just not entirely sure if I should add those chapters or leave it as a one-shot thing...**

**If ya' liked it please review!**

**With much love**

**~Animelover**

*******EDIT: Due to an amazing feed back so early, this will become multi-chapter. Though I'm not quite sure how long it will become.**

**I'm hoping I can live up to the bar that I've set for myself.**

**I'm going to make this clear now. THIS WILL NOT BE YAOI. I am absolutely horrible at writing romance, and that is far from what I intended for this. **

**So, I will give it my all, and do the best I can for self-beta-ing.**

**But a huge early on thanks to Persistence, LinkWarriorInGreen, and Oreramar.**

**You guys seriously made my week.**


	2. Chapter 1

**Beaten but never Broken**

**Chapter 1.**

_8 Months post-Prologue_

Kurosaki Ichigo absent-mindedly rubs the gothic tattoo on the right side of his neck with the palm of his hand, hidden by the noticeably longer strands of bright orange hair. A prominent reminder of who he now serves. His once seemingly permanent scowl nonexistent behind a façade of emotionlessness and unyielding obedience.

Faded copper pools almost lazily scan the white expanse of ceiling from his sprawled out position on the plush carpeted floor. To his right lay a pristine, white, king sized mattress and to his left a large, black, leather couch. Despite the adopted blank expression his mind is always working at a feverish pace, emotions simmering just beneath the surface waiting to escape their newfound prison. With a heavy sigh the tension in his lithe frame wanes slightly, but it is enough for him to slowly shut out the world behind closed eyelids.

Memories.

Those images, and sensations are hazy at best and nonexistent at worst. Every time one happens to bubble up toward the surface a pang of regret claws at his closed off heart. Out of habit his fingers trace a scar running diagonally along his face. As thick as his pinky the reminder spans from the top of his right eyebrow, to the far corner of his left jaw line, ending just under his left ear lobe. It was one of many, yet this one held the most pain.

_They had been in the home stretch, victory; a palpable feeling in the air around them. An ambush of numerous lower ranked arrancar shattered that in an instant. Ichigo, only fatigued from his battle with the fourth Espada, stayed back to buy the group time to escape. It was then that his freedom, and life as he knew it, had become forfeit._

A repetition of sharp rasps snaps the teen out of his reverie. Propping himself up, his head swivels to get a better view of the massive door that almost blends entirely into the never-ending scheme of white. With an almost unnatural predatory grace he easily leaves his place on the floor and walks over to the gargantuan entrance.

In an instant he knew who was on the other side. His mask of indifference slips on as easy as it is to breathe. If it had been any other date this would most likely have disturbed him and anyone around him.

With a lazy flick of the wrist a bead of black energy is shot towards the eternally white frame, melting into the door upon contact. Seconds later a series of muffled clicks echoes through out the mostly barren expanse then the door slides to the right revealing the chocolate-colored skin and white uniform of TōsenKaname.

No words or signals are exchanged as the former captain turns on his heel and begins walking, Ichigo obediently falling into step behind the man. It doesn't take long to reach their destination, the throne room is placed in the center of the monstrosity known as Las Noches*, with the Espada's quarters branching outward. A wave of unease careens through the orange-haired youth. He doesn't know who's dead or alive. In all of his time here he never saw anyone other then Tōsen, Gin, Aizen, and a few low-level arrancar used to keep him alive when death was a mere hairs breadth away. For a brief moment a familiar scowl flashes across his scarred face, disappearing as quickly as it came.

Coming to a stop just before the thresh hold, Kaname places a palm on the door and it leaps from his hand, creaking as it swings open.

_ "Ah, so nice of you to join us."_

The deep baritone washes over Ichigo,causing his skin to break out in a cold sweat. His muscles coil and nervous system rockets into over drive. Everything about the seemingly harmless man perched at the head of the large oval-shaped table sits wrong with him. Movement flickers to his right and honed instincts kick in.

Shifting his weight to his left he spins on the ball of his foot, gathering momentum for a powerful roundhouse kick to his attackers skull. A mirthful chuckle drifted to his ears moments before his heel would have made contact. Now knowing who was behind the movement Ichigo was forced to make a decision with in the span of a nanosecond. Launching him self up with his left, Ichigo spun parallel to the ground, making it look as if his right had become perfectly still. Using the spirit particles in the air he then controlled his descent to prevent a crater upon impact where he landed in a western style bow, left knee on and right knee off the ground with his head bowed and right arm set against his right thigh and his left rigid at his side.

"My deepest apologies Ichimaru-sama, I had not known it was you." Ichigo intoned.

"Ah, it's no big deal. Just need to work on yer' sensin' abilities now wont we." The silver-haired deserter replied.

"Hai."

Trepidation coiled in Ichigo's gut, and he had to work to keep the waiver of fear out of his monotone. Training with Ichimaru Gin was _never _pleasant. He was given no time to fully ward away the emotions before his Lord once again began speaking.

"As you all know, for the past two years we have made no, significant, move against Soul Society and the Gotei 13. Meet the newest member of the espada, your new brother in arms, Kurosaki Ichigo." His tone allowed no argument, an underlying thread of malice easily covered by a painfully fake curve of the lips.

Shock rippled through the other Espada. After not being informed of Aizen new "Project" many speculated their lieges absence, none expected this.

To Ichigo only a few familiar faces remained, not that he really saw the entirety of the Espada. While the first, third, fourth, sixth, and ninth Espada had somehow survived that epic battle, the rest it seemed had perished and already been replaced. Unfortunately Ichigo could not hide this shock at seeing the fourth and sixth Espada alive and well, not even sparing a glance to the recently recruited Espada, save himself. He had seem Grimmjow's bloody corpse on the white sand staining it dark crimson, he had watched as Ulquiorra turned to ash on the dome of Las Noches. How had they survived?

Disbelief had plastered itself onto the hybrid's visage, and it had not gone unnoticed, much to the amusement of Aizen.

For a moment it looked as if he would question the boy but thought better of it. It would, in the end, provide greater entertainment to watch the inevitable confrontation between the three.

"What's his rank?" The _primera_ Espada, Stark C. Coyote, drawled sounding half-asleep.

"Zero." It had been a mere whisper, yet the reaction could be compared to a hydrogen bomb.

Reiatsu flared to dangerous levels in accordance to temper and volume levels in the room. The most recently induced could not comprehend that a mere _child_ could hold more power then they. It was inconceivable. Yet for those who had encountered the boy, even if it had been a mere passing glance, it was not as much of a shock.

Something comparable to a sigh escaped Aizen's lips as his own massive store of reiatsu washed over those present, instantly silencing any and all protests.

"As you were chosen, so was he. Yet it was not I who gave him the rank, Hueco Mundo has that honor." If you knew the man you would've been able to hear the slight ire in those few words.

Queries were silenced, as attention returned to the highest authority in the immediate area.

"Now if that is all," He paused for a mere moment then continued. "A group of Shinigami have been picked up on the fringes of the Menos Forrest. Ulquiorra, Kurosaki you're to locate and eradicate every last one, save the leader, send him back with a message. "Their time has come,"."

Ichigo who had yet to leave his bowed position, swiveled his head to gaze unseeingly at the man and answered in tandem with the fourth.

"As you wish, Aizen-sama."

The doors behind them suddenly swung open, granting them an exit. Wasting no time Ichigo rose from his kneeling position and strode toward the door, Ulquiorra only a few paces behind.

The moment the doors had closed behind them Ichigo turned to face the fourth.

"Ten minutes from now, the north gate." Straight to the point, yet giving the Espada the respect his rank afforded him.

Not waiting for an answer Ichigo immediately launched into shunpo, disappearing with only a faint rustle of fabric and leaving the stoic arrancar to his thoughts.

'He's changed. He's stronger. He's going to... Interesting.'

Never one to waste time or miss a dead line the fourth blurred away, leaving the halls vacant.

**XxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXx**

In a swirl of motion Ichigo appeared mere yards from his room, entering as soon as his feet touch the ground.

The reason for his haste?

Propped against the wall in the far corner of the square room lay his trusted battle partner, in all of his glory, an irritated hum and a faint light blue and demonic black glow emanating from the gargantuan weapon. In only a few powerful strides he's standing over the cloth-wrapped behemoth and, after only a slight hesitation, grabs the hilt hissing as the combined _reiatsu_ of both his zanpaktou and hollow lash at his skin, leaving minor burns in their wake.

"Give me a chance to explain!" He barks, face falling into an all to familiar scowl of annoyance.

He's given no such thing, instead he's forcibly dragged into his inner world, landing on his feet with a muffled thud. No more then a few mili-seconds pass before the whistle of steel gliding through air wafts to his ears forcing him to draw the deadly cleaver from his back then block a swing that would have bifurcated him. The clang of steel against steel and an explosion of power erupts from where the red-head stands. Momentarily locking blades with his alabaster counter-part, Ichigo tenses and shifts his stance.

"Damn it! Give me a chance to explain you two!" Ichigo roars as he slashes downward, effectively forcing his hollow back a few paces and inadvertently placing the enraged hollow next to his simmering zanpaktou.

"**Alright. Explain then _Aibou_. Explain why you completely cut off the link between us for _ two damn years_. Why for two _years_ we heard not a word from you after you entered that pathetic excuse of a battle and got yourself caught! And why for the past eight god damned months you drew on our power not giving us word of what the fuck was going on upstairs!"** His hollow's distorted growl was dangerously low and held underlying threats to life and limb if a proper explanation was given.

They had formed a truce. It had been shaky, tentative, and above all insane. But a divided soul will only tear itself apart. He hadn't sealed his hollow in some part of his soul, only drawing on that tainted reservoir of power when needed. They had built on the others strengths, battling, training, and becoming comrades even. It had been monumental when they achieved a new height no other Vizard had reached, the perfect fusion of a shinigami at its peak and a vasto lorde level hollow. It had been a momentary fluke dug up by instinct. It had left them exhausted. It led to Ichigo's eventual capture.

"Those are memories. . . I'd rather not go into right now Ogichi." He sounded. . . Defeated, worn, and tired.

Something both hollow and zanpaktou had never heard from the man standing before them.

It was then they took in his appearance, from the reverse color _shihaksho, _giving hollow and shinigami an eerily similar appearance, as well as the scars riddling his lithe and athletic frame to the haunted look in dulled brown eyes they could only wonder.

"**What exactly. . . did they put you through. . . Ichigo.**" The question faded to harbor quiet concern.

"If you want to know, access the memories. You know where to look. But right now I am serving under Aizen and at the moment I have a mission that I need to carry out... unfortunately it involves slaughtering a small group of shinigami. I have a feeling that Aizen is testing my loyalties... meaning someone I know is in that group... lets just hope that the person is the leader. It's all false loyalty though... I have sworn on my soul that I will be the one to bring that man to his knees and end his life with our blade." Ichigo declares, immediately launching out of his inner world the second his last syllable left his mouth.

**XxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXx**

For a moment both hollow and zanpaktou could only stare at where their partner and wielder had stood. The change was painfully obvious, the usual roaring tempest that could be attributed to the hybrid was muted, and that firm resolve while was still existent, had also been muffled under the bindings of prolonged pain and hopelessness.

To their left a window suddenly erupted in a show of black light, snapping both out of their momentary reverie.

Taking the initiative and sheathing his weapon, Ogichi flickered over to the glass pane closely followed by the mysterious sword himself. This simple piece of glass writhed and whirled in on it self, creating the illusion of life in its rectangular container. Never one to be intimidated by anything the inner hollow knelt on one knee, Zangetsu's larger and calloused hand coming to rest on his _shihaksho_ clad shoulder, quietly observing the answer to all of their questions before placing the palm of his strikingly white hand on the contrasting glass. In a swirl of power tainted with pain the two disappeared into the window of Ichigo's sorrow and suffering.

Never had Ichigo's inner sanctum been so barren. Blue skyscrapers seemed to reach into eternity, testament to the determination of the reigning king, their frames glistening in the rays of a nonexistent sun. Yet they had not always been this way. For what had seemed to be the longest time, the majestic metropolis had been completely submerged under an ocean of despair, the buildings had instantaneously gone under over a centuries worth of wear. With windows either shattered or cracked, buildings showing various extreme signs of decay it was, in few words, the veritable aftermath of a nuclear bomb.

Time, forever immeasurable in this lonely expanse, seemed to suddenly take a leap forward. Hairline fractures and cracks appeared in windows and concrete structures, leading to fissures and missing chunks of the building's them selves.

When the sudden transformation of the surrounding landscape ended, twin pillars of midnight black and sky blue energy exploded upward from the central building, which stood amazingly untouched. As suddenly as they came the pillars disappeared revealing both zanpaktou and hollow laying face up, the emotions of shock, disgust, and understanding rolling through them as their chests heaved from exertion.

"**Damn... I don't even... think I would've been... able to... keep my head... for that long."** Ogichi drawled out between gasps for air.

"_Ahh."_ Came Zangetsu's echoing baritone.

_**XxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXx**_

Across the pallid sands of Hueco Mundo, two figures race across the dunes with natural grace. The silence between them could've been cut with a knife. Yet both refused to utter a word, seemingly content to simply run. But emerald green iris' train them selves onto the burns of Ichigo's right arm, barely contained curiosity swimming in their depths.

"Are the burns on my arm that interesting, Ulquiorra?" Ichigo asks slyly, looking straight ahead never sparing the inquisitive hollow a glance.

Not expecting the comment from his mission partner, the Espada in question snaps his eyes toward the scarred face of the orange-haired hybrid.

"Yes, and No." Comes the cryptic, monotone reply.

"My zanpakou and hollow didn't approve of being shut out for almost two years." The newly appointed Espada states calmly.

For a moment silence reattaches itself to the pair, only to be shattered again by a simple word.

"Why."

This time Ichigo's head whirls to gaze at the black-haired arrancar, copper eyes scanning the white expanse of the questioners face. For a split second the image of Ulquiorra in his second release overshadows the current form, causing Ichigo to blink a few times to rid him self of the sensation.

With a weary sigh he abruptly slows to a halt, Ulquiorra stopping a few paces away.

"In our last battle, you gained my respect. As such you deserve the answers to any question you might ask." Of the few memories Ichigo does posses, the battle on top of Las Noches is one of them.

The fourth seemed to mull over this information, averting his eyes to stare at the black and white horizon.

"Why do you now serve Aizen-sama, when before you were so adamant in destroying him?" His monotonous question faded slightly at the end, making it sound like more of a statement.

"Let's just say I wasn't given much of a choice." Under the heavy weight of sarcasm, untold levels of pain lace his statement making it sound slightly strained.

"Teach me about the "heart," and you may consider me an ally in the future." With that he leapt forward, leaving the red-head behind.

Ichigo could only stare with wide eyes at where Ulquiorra had stood. The shock pertaining to those few words had collided with him much like the force of a cero. He was reeling, mind moving a mile a minute to process what had just been said.

The fourth espada had some how figured out the base of Ichigo's plan, and yet he wasn't going to reveal any of it. Instead asking for knowledge Aizen or Hueco Mundo couldn't and wouldn't grant him.

For the first time in a long time a mirthful chuckle escaped his lips, a smile adorning his face under closed eyelids.

"Thank you, Ulquiorra. You have a deal."

Not wanting to fall behind Ichigo shot into shunpo, deserting the area with out a second thought.

XxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXx

It didn't take long for the two to reach the entrance of the Menos Forrest, it was nearly impossible to miss. A dune that rose above all others for miles around, held a cave on its westward side.

Again both the Fourth and Zero Espada travel in silence, as they traverse through its pitch black maw.

Surprisingly, or not, they encounter no interference upon entry to the forrest, and as they scan the surrounding area from their perch atop the cliff-like opening both are on high alert. It is oddly silent in the Menos Forrest, something unheard of through out the entirety of Hueco Mundo.

"I don't like this... Let's get moving." Ichigo states, immediately slipping into the lead role his title forces him to be as he jumps forward blurring away with shunpo.

With only a curt nod in reply Ulquiorra follows Ichigo in a sonído of his own.

Only thirty or so steps away from the main entrance they burst into a clearing only for a command to pierce the air.

"FIRE!"

With nary a sound both arrancar and hybrid are forced to dodge as both binding and offensive kido are hurled their direction. Balls of yellow, red, and blue energy crackle and burn away the air around them as they fly towards their targets only to miss and impact the ground, stirring up dust and debris as well as effectively hiding the intended two in the resulting cloud.

"Surround them! W have orders to take them alive!" A rough masculine voice calls out.

A chorus of 'Yes, Sir!' follows the demand and in only a few moments a medium-sized platoon of twenty-one shinigami surrounds the dust cloud in an attempt to trap whom ever was 'caught' within.

Unfortunately the dust cloud prevented them from knowing who exactly was inside, so when it was blown away by a burst of hollow reitsu forcing all but four into the clutches of unconsciousness, the remaining could only look on in horror as the culprit was revealed.

_**XxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxX**_

Abarai Renji was stunned. It had been a perfect trap, and the execution was flawless. Orders had been to capture an arrancar and return it to Seireitei, who had been on edge over the last year from lack of action. Just before the cloud had been dispersed by a frightening rise in _reiatsu, _the _fuku-taicho's_ mind kicked into over-drive. They might have just bitten of more then they could chew.

Yet as the cloud finally disappeared Renji definitely didn't expect what he saw.

At first he had easily recognized the fourth espada, completely unchanged, and as stoic as his captain, eying him and the other three shinigami with conceiled distaste and his stomach twisted into knots. With the presence of the Espada, especially one as high up and as powerful as Ulquiorra Renji knew they had essentially walked into their deaths.

"Well what do we have here?"

_That voice._ Renji's heart and body froze. He_ knew _that voice. He hadn't heard it in two years, but he knew that voice.

_Ichigo._

His conscious whispered that name like a prayer and joy rippled through him. After two long years of thinking his best friend and comrade had died, it was a breath of fresh air to hear his voice again.

However as his eyes decided to catch up to his ears, that joy was swallowed with confusion, sorrow, and hurt. This was not the Ichigo he knew, and fought beside.

Those warm brown eyes were dead, leaving only apathy and... was that blood lust? The black attire of a shinigami replaced with a white shihakshou. And most prominent under the unknown source of light in the small clearing a jagged scar running almost the entire length of the former substitutes face.

'_What happened to you Ichigo. . .'_

"Ah, it's been a while hasn't it. . . Renji."

_**XxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXx**_

**A.N: Okay originally I intended to extend this into the ensuing fight/merciless slaughter, but that is going to take a little while and I think that ending it here is pretty good.**

**I was NOT expecting such an amazing amount of feedback, 7 reviews sent me on cloud-9, prompting me to get this out as fast as my mind and fingers would let me.**

**Now this is extremely different from the version I had hand-written. While the base idea and outline is there, the details and events have been altered slightly.**

**So I'm almost making this from scratch.. again.**

**But this is eons better then what I had originally written. So I'm happy.**

***: Is it just me or does everyone get the urge to write "Las Nacho" every time you need to write "Las Noches." I had to go back and fix that at least three times.**

**I hope that I met your guy's standards. And don't worry. You will get some flash backs onto what Ichigo went through and his capture. But that wont come till later.**

**Random P.O.I. My spacebar squeaks every time I hit it. I find it highly amusing and annoying.**

Oh question... did anyone else have any problems with FF net? Almost all of today and most of yesterday my profile page wouldn't load using the temporary link and even with the permanent link. And even if I could get that to work, story links refused to work coming up with this error: Error

An error has occurred while processing your request.

Please email this error message to via .

All errors are logged for administrative and security purposes.

**Even refreshing the page several times and going to a different browser didn't help. If ya' have any thoughts or know what's going on please let me know!... I'd really hate to think it's just me and my computer/location/internet.**

**So 9 pages of Beaten but Never Broken using Times New Roman size 12 font.**

**I really hope you guys enjoyed it! I definitely enjoyed typing this!**

**If ya' liked it please leave a review! It motivates me!**

**Much love:**

**~Animelover**


	3. Chapter 2

***** Only a few hours after I originally put this up I went and read it for my self... and realized it was riddled with grammatical and structural errors... so I went and fixed as many as I could find.**

**Beaten But Never Broken Chapter 2: What is lost can always be gained. All peace must come to an end.**

Faint images and broken sounds speed through Ichigo's head, providing only a name, rank, and faint impression of the fuku-taichostanding agape across from him. There was no doubt in the hybrid's mind that the shinigami in front of him had earned his post but, sadly, it wouldn't be enough.

In fluid movements the cleaver on his back is released from its confines, its edge glinting eerily in the light. Renji's eyes widen at the sight, and his mouth opens to vehemently question the action, but before he's able to mouth a simple 'what', Ichigo is upon him, blade swinging in an arc to bifurcate the stunned soldier.

Training kicks in faster then the tattooed man can comprehend and his hand drops to the red hilt of his sword, practically ripping it out of the sheath. A metal clang resounds through out the clearing, the impact kicking up dust and debris.

Rust and tawny clash, the emotions of one warring against the other.

Anger and betrayal against guilt and curiosity.

The possibility of expending the pent up hurricane of emotion is almost overwhelming for the newly inducted Espada.

Sparks fly as swords collide again and again, with only one remaining pair of eyes to observe the spectacle.

Renji, swiftly becoming overwhelmed, begins to strike franticly with his defenses rapidly crumbling.

Block. Counter. Block. Block. Dodge. Counter. _Damn it!_ _Think Renji!_ Block. Dodge. Counter.

Ichigo on the other hand had begun to rapidly suppress the desire for battle and replaced it with the task of evaluating his partner in this lethal dance. His opponent was strong, too strong to be a simple fuku-taicho. But his speed was severely lacking, something the speed-oriented vizard planned to fully capitalize on. To the untrained eye both participants were no more then a blur, with gusts of wind and waves of power washing over the sole remaining observer. Yet to the seasoned eye, the battle for the right to live is a harmonious warring of instincts.

A simple feint, a complex series of strikes and lunges, the sound of blade tearing through flesh and sinew, the muffled tapping of straw sandals on dirt, the ear shattering clang of steel against steel, a fine sheen of sweat over inky black tattoos, the taint of crimson on clothing and skin. The art of battle is a beautiful thing, yet when a life hangs in the balance, it becomes a dance of deadly proportions.

As they continue to cross blades, Ichigo is assaulted by memories.

"_. . .That's unexpected you even remember my name. I'm really surprised... I thought that you had been killed by Kuchiki-Taicho's attack."_

_'_What the hell..._'_

"_Getting so arrogant after only a slight improvement? Who the hell do you think you are!. . . Roar! Zabimaru!"_

_'Damn it I can't dodge!'_

'Why am I. . .'

A quick sidestep, a lazy counter. A measured intake of breath. The tang of sweat and the bite of blood fill the air, invading the senses and heightening the body's state of awareness.

"_When shinigami ranked at or above a fukutaicho are sent to the Living World, their power is drastically sealed to prevent any damage to the surrounding area. So right now, I'm five times stronger then when we last met! It won't matter how strong you might've become, it will be impossible for you to defeat me!"_

"_It's a good idea to attack when your opponent has to break in between attacks, your timing was perfect. But why couldn't you hit me? The answer is simple. You are too slow!"_

"_Please... You have to save Rukia!"_

'Why are these memories...'

Suddenly the fiery-red head changes tactics, going from close-quarters to attempting long-range.

In a sweeping move that causes both opponents to leap away in order to avoid injury, Renji immediately takes up a stance so he can call out his zanpaktou.

"Howl," His hand glides down the weapon as a wave of red energy begins to distort the blade itself.

"Za-" A sudden pressure in his chest halts the command as it fades into a wet gurgle.

Dark eyes widen as his head slowly, almost mechanically, tilts down to stare at the appendage lodged in his chest.

With a sickening squelch Ichigo removes his hand, idly removing the coating of blood with a simple flick of his wrist.

With a gasp Renji falls to his knees, grasping at the wound in his sternum. His vision begins to fade as his heart pumps erratically while his lungs fill with fluid.

Kneeling in front of the fatally wounded god of death, Ichigo places a glowing palm over the hole, ensuring his immediate survival.

"Abarai, summon a Senkaimon, if you don't you'll die with in the next two minutes." Ichigo commands into the dying mans ear, his voice a mere whisper.

'And yet you're only staving off the inevitable.' The orange-haired Vizard thinks darkly.

A crimson stained hand shakily reaches into an equally stained shihaksho, extracting a white box then crushing it within the next instant.

The air hums with power as a pair of traditional japanese doors opens up behind the duo, bathing them in an ethereal light.

"Aizen-sama's orders were to send the leader of the group back with a message. He is unable to do so with out aide. In order to fully complete the task assigned we must accompany Abarai Renji, back to Seireitei." Ichigo intones as he heaves the slowly fading man over his shoulder with out so much as a sound.

Taking a few steps toward the blindingly lit gate Ichigo turns to face the stoic Espada.

"You're coming with Ulquiorra." Ichigo orders, empty brown eyes meeting inquisitive green.

With a curt nod, the fourth falls into step behind his superior, following him through the doors,and leaving the dead or dying bodies to the horrors of the Menos Forrest.

_**XxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXx**_

_**Soul Society**_

Unohana Retsu prides herself on her analytical skills. The ability to make split second decisions about how to save someone's life come as naturally as breathing. Yet when a Senkaimon, developed especially for those on missions who needed immediate medical attention, opened up in her office revealing a once-though-dead and drastically changed man with the bloody body of the lieutenant of the sixth division on his shoulder accompanied by the fourth Espada, Retsu could say in complete honesty that she was baffled.

"Taicho-san, this man is on the verge of dying, and is in serious need of medical attention." The carrier of the body stated, the complete lack of emotion in his tone causing an involuntary shiver to work its way down her spine, as she swiftly moved from her seated position behind her desk to stand in front of. . .

'Is this really Kurosaki Ichigo?' She thought as the gears in her mind began to turn, albeit sluggishly.

As he almost gently places the dying body of Renji at her feet, the wizened captain systematically took in the condition of the blood soaked torso. Almost immediately her warm gray eyes widen, training on the gaping hole in the younger man's chest then immediately shifting over to lock onto the noticeable spatter marring the bright white cloth of the reversed shihakshou. But before she could open her mouth to inquire about the anomaly that was quickly forming a cold lump in the pit of her stomach, lifeless honey met her own worried coal, freezing her to the spot.

"Your time of peace is over." He murmurs as he stands to his full height, easily towering over her, then promptly vanished right before her eyes into the light of the still open gate.

For a few moments the healer could only stare at the place where the strikingly different Ichigo had once been. Her mind was running a mile a minute, but a pained groan brought it to a screeching halt.

' I'll have to inform the rest of the captains about this.' She thought morosely as she knelt down to begin the process of taking the bloodied lieutenant away from death's cold grasp.

_**XxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXx**_

The trek back to Las Noches was almost identical to the initial departure, blanketed in silence. Yet, this time the silence seemed to radiate tension instead of quiet curiosity, something Ichigo would've preferred.

Renji, had turned out to be a disappointment when Ichigo expected so much more from a high ranking officer in the Gotei 13.

With a frustrated sigh the frayed Espada forced the emotions and railroading thoughts back into the cage he had created for them not to long ago.

'I'll have time to think on them later.' He mused darkly as both he and Ulquiorra slowed to a stop in front of the immensity known as the North Gate.

_**XxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXx**_

A scant few hours later found the now edgy hybrid sitting on the edge of one of the many aged buildings in his inner world, staring at the bright blue sky marred by thick grey clouds, who occasionally let lose peeling roars of thunder, warning of the immanent rain. The elegant cleaver lay almost forgotten off the the side, its blade free of its usual cloth-wrapping.

"How. . . How well did I know Abarai Renji. . ." Ichigo whispers seemingly to the sky above, desperate to understand why he is filled with so much sadness, so much guilt.

"_He was almost like a brother to you. Together you fought like a well oiled machine."_ Zangetsu answeres honestly from somewhere behind the teen, apparently keeping watch but also giving his wielder the space he so desires.

An agonized gasp sings in harmony with a low growl of thunder, catching the attention and concern of the zanpaktou and hollow present. Realization stung like the unforgiving kiss of blade against flesh. He had sentenced someone who had been so very close to him to death, giving him only weeks to live.

Ichigo hunched over, gripping at his head and chest in an attempt to stave off the steadily building hurricane of tumultuous emotion. But, he couldn't stop the few tears that escaped his closed eye lids, marking his cheeks ans dripping onto his white hakama pants.

"**Damn you _Aizen."_** Ichigo snarls suddenly, each syllable punctuated by a frightening rise in malicious reiatsu, startling both onlookers.

"_**Damn you to the farthest pits of hell you slimy bastard."**_

_**XxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXx**_

Walking out of his quarters Ichigo, inwardly seethes. Not even a lengthy, and bloody, spar with his inner hollow had quelled the rage burning like a thousand suns in his chest.

Instead he's deigned himself to mindlessly walking the halls of Las Noches, his mask firmly back into place.

It is only by pure chance that he runs into the Espada he had been hoping to avoid.

"Well if it ain't Kurosaki." Grimmjow sneers.

Slowing to halt, dulled honey absently rake over the scared appearance of the sixth Espada.

"It's good to see you to Grimmjow." Ichigo replies with only a subtle hint of sarcasm, feeling the bloodlust roll off of the neon-haired hollow.

"Shut up. I want a rematch. Now. It doesn't matter where." The sixth bites out, muscles tensing in anticipation.

A faint whisper of cold energy brushes against Ichigo's own, and that sun flares to incomprehensible proportions. A hand clenches at his side and the muscles in his jaw grind his teeth against one another.

"Grimmjow, it would be very unwise to follow that course of action." Aizen calls smoothly from behind the Vizard, placing a hand on his white shihaksho clad shoulder.

Instantaneously his form goes rigid under the touch, eyes losing any of the fire that had been there moments before.

Grimmjow visibly flinches but scoffs and stalks past the pair, sending a hatred filled glare toward his rival and leaving the brown-haired ruler and the seemingly lifeless youth alone in the corridor.

"Don't forget Ichigo-kun, you have a lesson in control with Ichimaru and myself tomorrow." Aizen remarks, like a father talking to his son.

"I won't forget, Aizen-sama." Ichigo replies in a whisper as a wave of dizziness threatens to floor him.

A contented hum grates on his ears as the Lord and Ruler of Las Noches glides away, taking away that sickening chill that had settled over the now paler Espada.

Turning on his heel, he launches into a near-desperate shunpo arriving at his room in mere seconds. And it only takes a few seconds more for him to enter the monotone box, then to rocket into the bathroom and empty the contents of his stomach into the toilet.

"Why do you fear someone you can easily surpass?" A lazy drawl asks from the door way.

"It isn't a personal choice, Starrk." He replies, idly coughing in an attempt to rid his taste buds of the acid coating.

"Whatever, when you decide to get over that just call me and Halibel." The primera Espada comments with a yawn as he exits the younger man's room.

With a sigh, the remaining occupant gets to his feet and sets on ridding his mouth of any lingering bile, content to let his thoughts whirl on the thought of another ally to add to the ones he has already acquired.

_**XxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXx**_

"This emergency meeting has been called on behalf of Yonbantai Taicho Unohana Retsu. Let us begin." Head Captain Yamamoto booms.

When the captain in question took a single step forward all of the members in the room immediately shifted their attention towards her, as a sign on respect and interest. It was of the rarest occurrences for the peaceful woman to call a meeting of any sort.

"Thank you, SouTaicho. Approximately three weeks ago a medium sized platoon of twenty-one shinigami were sent on a reconnaissance mission to apprehend a single arrancar in an attempt to gain some insight on the actions of one Aizen Sousuke. Two weeks ago only one of the members returned." She paused, and only few moments after her last syllable faded the monstrous doors groaned in loud protest as they swung open, revealing the bandaged and haggard appearance of Abarai Renji and the flustered complexion of the shinigami at the injured man's side, acting as a living crutch.

"Our sole survivor, Abarai Renji, Rokubantai Fuku-taicho, yet not even I have the power to heal the full extent of the wounds instilled upon him. . . He has but a week to live until the conflicting reiatsu imbedded into his chest fully erodes the walls of heart." Unohaha states sadly

"Who did this to you, Abarai." Yamamoto asks, his voice notably lower and more solemn at the prospect of losing yet another officer, and a second seat at that, then what it usually is making his words seem more like a statement ,then an actual inquiry.

Fading dark brown brown eyes lock on to the Head Captain before lowering to stare unseeingly at the wooden floor.

"Kurosaki...Ichigo."

Shock, horror, and anger ripple across the room, almost palpable in the air. Looks of outrage, sorrow, and disbelief narrow on the slowly dying lieutenant.

"Aizen he... he had to have done something to him... his spirit's been completely broken. Ichigo's been changed entirely... there was no recognition in his eyes when he saw me. But he fought like a trained fighter., not the warrior we knew. He was merciless..." Renji paused his brow scrunching in thought, eyes never leaving the wood floor.

"Ichigo he... he has to be ranked higher then four. He was ordering the fourth Espada around, with an air of authority." Renji finished staring resolutely at all the Captains in turn, daring them to refute his statement.

A tense silence descended upon the room, and for the sole non-bankai user it was quickly becoming hard to breathe as reiryoku saturated the air.

"I see... Unfortunately this leaves us with only one course of action."

_**XxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXx**_

Standing under the the warm spray of an impromptu shower, Ichigo grieves.

That trivial sliver of energy he had infused into his once-brother's wound had returned, stunning the youth into immobility during a spar with none other then Ichimaru Gin, gaining him a particularly nasty wound along his pectorals and ending the training session.

Tears fall in silent succession, mixing with the steaming water that languidly caresses his marred body. There is not an ounce of fat, an area that does not bore a scar. Power ripples around his form in an invisible cloak, carrying a tangible feeling of pain and heavy sorrow.

With Abarai Renji's death, every memory containing the pineapple-headed soul had been released. Wave after wave of emotion rolls through Ichigo, bombarding him with sensations he hasn't felt in over a year.

It was almost too much to bear, yet he stands resolute, gritting his teeth as each image flashes painfully through his skull.

With a shuddering intake of moist air, he cuts off the flow of water and silently exits the shower, slowly and unhurriedly redressing himself.

The injury on his chest twinges faintly as he pulls on his hakama, drawing his attention toward the still open wound. For a second he wonders whether or not to head down towards the medical wing to have it patched up, or to just let it heal, as he stares at the slow trickle of blood creating a vivid trail along one of his larger scars, only to have his hollow brush against his conscious.

**'Wha' did ya' spend almos' a year doin', Aibou? Twiddling y'er thumbs?'** Ogichi scoffs as he sends a small, almost unnoticeable, surge of reiatsu to the comparatively small gash.

The orange-headed youth can only watch in fascination as it instantly becomes covered in a white, shell-like, material.

'Shut up. I worked solely on shinigami arts, as well as the two stages of and endurance with your mask. Nothing more nothing less.' Ichigo retorts, without any heat. . . with out any real emotion.

**'You do realize that we can become even stronger.' **His other half adds uncharacteristically solemn, and deadly serious, momentarily stunning the young Espada.

'Yes, I do. Working as a team can do that for people.' Sarcasm practically dripping off those few words.

'But I will not let Aizen latch on to that idea, won't let him know just how much stronger we can actually become.' He finishes with a strong hint of finality.

The only response is a distorted cackle that slowly fades into the back of his mind. Holding back yet another sigh, Ichigo swiftly finishes reapplying his clothing and deftly grabs Zangetsu from his perch against the wall to settle him across his back, red chain materializing out of thin air and settling across his torso.

Hair still damp and dripping he exits the large room and finds a single number kneeling a few paces outside the door.

For a moment Ichigo just stands and appraises the arrancar in front of him, taking in the shoulder-length raven-colored hair, the proud and lustrous green eyes , the large and powerful frame, the mohawk-like mask fragment adorning the top of his head, the black hilt, and the equally black sheath of his weapon at his side.

"Who are you, and why are you here?" The hybrid asks, voice unyielding and commanding, betraying none of the curiosity and vague irritation swimming around his insides.

"Arrancar number eleven, Gergovia Vergentorix. I have been assigned as one of your fraccion, Ichigo-sama." His tone is even and distinct, with heavy undertones of French coloring the sound.

For a fleeting moment Ichigo wonders just where all of these hollow come from, most are obviously not Japanese. But that moment is ripped to shreds as realization quickly follows, freezing him to his core with outright rage. But he shows no outward sign of his inner thoughts, facial features schooled into a practiced emotionless mask.

"Are there any more I should be expecting?"

"No, at least none I was informed of." Short, sweet, and to the point.

'I just might like him... If I don't kill him for being Aizen's informant.' The orange-haired youth muses idly.

With only a curt nod in response, Ichigo begins striding down the monotone hallway, only giving a slight wave of his hand in gesture for his new fraccion to follow. Something Vergentorix doesn't miss as the slightly taller hollow falls into step behind him.

Their destination?

The expanse of sunlit sand outside the immediate castle, but under the dome of Las Noches itself. Getting to know his subordinate's strength's and weaknesses, his style and attitude in battle.

They walk in silence, and Ichigo can practically taste the fear and anxiety rolling off the number in waves.

Upon arrival they are greeted by blissful silence, not even a breeze to disturb the almost perfectly set dunes running haphazardly along the pseudo-desert.

"Enter your Ressurection." The top Espada's command pierces the air, and the arrancar jumps slightly at the notion as Ichigo turns to face him, an unreadable expression morphing his face.

With a nod the dark haired hollow draws his sword, the sound of metal scraping against wood filling the area as a low rumble accompanies a drastic rise in reiatsu.

Ichigo only watches on, rolling his shoulder as he feels the shell covering his wound simply crumble and disappear.

"Conquer-"

_**XxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXx**_

Rukia was sure she was at her breaking point. She was just starting to get over the loss of Kaien followed by Ichigo. . . but now this. She knew she couldn't handle any more, lest she lose what sanity she has left.

The raven-haired shinigami let loose a heart-wrenching sigh, something she'd never let her Nii-sama witness. No, she is still a Kuchiki, still the heir to the Noble line.

The funeral had been drenched in a cold downpour, matching the hearts of those who had personally known the fiery lieutenant.

He had died in his sleep, denied the chance to die on the battlefield.

It had been so sudden, so fast, that no one really had a chance to think till several hours after the fact. Only the day before had he been walking around, and looked as if his soul would reverse the damage being done to his vital organs. I

Hatred, Remorse, Sorrow.

Emotions she's known all to well.

Hatred towards her self for not being able to _do_ anything. . . towards Ichigo for killing his best friend, his brother-in-arms. . . for killing her lover.

Remorse. For letting Renji go on that mission, for letting him volunteer knowing it was in a nut-shell a suicide mission. For leaving Ichigo behind.

Sorrow. Losing part of her heart. Knowing that someone whom she had considered a best friend. . . maybe even more then that at one point. . . had been taken and twisted into a _monster._

Renji that bright spot in her grey existence, the force that pushed her to acquire the second seat under Ukitake-Taicho, gone in an instant.

Tears begin anew as she curls gracelessly on her now eternally cold futon, gripping at the sheets that still smell like _him, _sobs wrenching their way out of her throat as her own chilly aura spreads out like a blanket, coating the room in a thin sheet of frost.

Sode no Shirayuki can only look on as her wielder slowly breaks, can only hope that she will come to _ her_ for the guidance she needs.

But no, so wrapped up in her sorrow is she, that all attempts at helping the fuku-taicho are batted away with a painfully strained smile and grief-stricken violet eyes.

With a shuddering sigh the zanpaktou spirit merely adjusts her position against the tree as the winds begin to pick up violently in her glacial world.

"_Please come to me Rukia, let me help you."_ Her pleas fall on deaf ears, and the sounds of silent wails pierce the ever-darkening sky.

_****_

"This has been in the making for just over a month now. You know what needs to be done. Don't disappoint me." Aizen announces, and he is met with silence.

The espada all kneel in the face of their Lord, showing their utmost servility, their loyalty to the one who created them.

The sound of warped tearing echoes through out the room and as one the ten swords stand.

The Supreme Lord and Ruler of Las Noches waves a hand towards the ninth espada, a stocky little fellow who looks more like a mid-evil guardsman then a hollow, with his hole residing in his left shoulder, hidden beneath long tresses of bleached white hair atop eyes of malevolent red.

With a nod the lowest ranked Espada pads over to the Garganta and steps through and is soon followed by the rest, with Ichigo and his fraccion bringing up the rear. And as he passes by Aizen an all encompassing feeling of fear and foreboding crashes over him and his stride falters just a hair.

While this seemingly goes unnoticed by the three reigning beings in this desolate world, V absorbs every last nanosecond and a look of worry flashes across his face before it is squashed.

Ichigo is quick to recover, however, and continues on like nothing ever happened passing through he gaping black maw in a few strides with his seemingly ever-present companion right on his heels.

Stepping on the air just past the abyssal opening, the orange-headed hybrid blinks a few times to adjust to the bright haze of the warm sun above him, immediately drawing his gaze to the large bright sphere hanging lazily above them all.

Slowly he turns his gaze to take in the sight of the town below him, and a feeling of nostalgia brushes past with the the subtle breeze. Dead copper eyes never once stray over to the large group of powerful souls standing parallel to them, only a hundred or so yards away.

Swords are drawn on both sides and the strongest Espada allows a melancholy sigh escape his lips.

Even he knows that this is a suicide run.

_**XxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxX**_

_**FINALLY! God nine solid pages of writers block and hell.**_

_**BUT HERE IT IS IN AALLLL IT'S GLORY!**_

_**-pants-**_

_******If ya' see any more grammar errors please let me know so that I know where to improve.**_

_**I can't believe how many reviews I received on the first chapter. Sixteen total.**_

_**I have to thank:**_

_**anonymous reader**_

_**KawaiiBerry-chan**_

_**Persistence**_

_**ichigos future wife**_

_**ShotgunWilly**_

_**Jessnia-chan**_

_**WhiteW12-0**_

_**Oreramar**_

_**DiamondGoddess**_

_**ejsoul**_

_**Eldar-Melda**_

_**PaperNPencil**_

_**Skilts**_

_**raae**_

_**OfeliaWolf**_

_**Meshik(thank's for your review by the way it made me smile while I was cooped up in my computer applications class)**_

_**And**_

_**for all of the subscriptions and favorites I received.**_

_**Honestly guys you are amazing! I couldn't ask for a better audience.**_

_**So 9 solid pages. It was originally 13 pages... but a lot of those pages made this seem more like a quilt.. and made it seem almost as if this had been written by a five year old child... And I feel awesome!**_

_**IMPORTANT! **_**Gergovia Vergentorix. Look up the second name. It brings up a French Military leader in.. I think 52bc... The first name is the area he was governor of. **

**Also Last chapter I said the ninth espada had survived... at the time I hadn't bothered to research the espada ranks... I had intended for the eighth.. the weird scientist...**

**Though it honestly doesn't matter... we don't see him.. or hear of him at all... or the other Espada for that matter.. they really don't have a part... ah well**

_**Hope you enjoyed chapter 2 of Beaten But Never Broken! **_

_**Please leave a comment! I live on them!**_

_**Much Love**_

_**~Animelover**_


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